count2infinity wrote:Hercules double IPA is fantastic. Other good ones:

Titan IPA, Old Ruffian, Hibernation Ale, they have a good scotch ale too, can't remember the name though. They have a lot of good stuff, there was a Chocolate one I had from there that was delicious as well. I think it was called Yeti as well.

Great night at Buckeye Beer Engine. Ommegang's Art of Darkness, followed by Dark Horse Thirsty Trout Porter, both on tap. Followed up with a bottle of Rochefort 10. Final topper, two 750ml bottles of Iron Throne to go at a great price. Perfect beer night.

but seriously, tried Brew Work's Hopsolutely and Stone's 16th Anniversary IPA over the weekend. Both were delicious. The Hopsolutely was a little less hops and more malty taste than I expected, but still delicious. Unfortunately it took a while for our food to come out and by the time I was done with these two, I didn't want to have any more as I was driving home. They certainly pack a punch.

I had Shock Top apple this weekend. While I don't normally care for shock top or anything like it, it was decent. Then I started drinking a case of Labatt en masse due to the Pens game fast approaching.

I'd drink it again probably, and I rarely venture away from my few beers. But when a Pens game is about to be attended, I have a pretty strict ritual. I'm allowed to drink Yuenling until I get to the tailgate or game(if I want), but otherwise its Labatt.

largegarlic wrote:I went to H1KB today to get some nicer stuff to celebrate the beginning of the playoffs and end of the semester. I had planned on splurging on some Russian River Supplication, but they didn't have any. So, I picked Cisco's Lady of the Woods and Evil Twin's Disco Beer as my splurges.

I had a Stillwater/Hof Ten Dormaal collab saison this weekend, Bronze Age. Really solid saison. Tons of yeast sediment. I'd abandon the bottom two fingers of the 12.7 oz bottle if you want to avoid getting any in your pour. More of a traditional belgian saison -- medium body that you can chew on, funk, grass, pepper, dry finish -- than some of the fruitier stuff that I've had from Stillwater before.

For those in the DC area, apparently a gastropub called Of Love & Regret is basically affiliated with Stillwater and serve a ton of their beers. I'd definitely check that out if I lived down that way. Looks like they do a weekly seafood and saison night.

MRandall25 wrote:Had a Hoegaarden at Wexford Ale House last night. Reminded me of Shock Top Lemon Shandy with more lemon flavor and more of a beer taste.

Personally, the only Belgian wit that comes close to Hoegaarden in my book is Celis White, which is out of production at the moment thanks to the bankruptcy of Michigan Brewing Company. Every beer of that style owes its existence to Hoegaarden and the late Peirre Celis. Celis was a milkman who in 1966 decided to build his own brewery and revive that local style of beer (because he liked it himself), which had been dead in the town of Hoegaarden since the town’s last brewery went out of business in the 1950s. Every one of the hundreds of witbeers that are being brewed around the world owes its existence to one dude who really wanted to drink his favorite local style of beer again. That’s a great story.

Sipping my second Smuttynose offering, Robust Porter. Another solid offering from that brewery. I've been in Portsmouth, NH countless times (heck, I was even stationed there briefly), and have never visited there. Gonna change that in August I think.

Calabaza Blanca, though probably not truly a witbier, is an amazing belgian wit. Very saison-like characteristics, though, so that is why I like it and why most others expecting something like a Hoegaarden or Wittekerke probably do not.

Speaking of wits, I had the Anchorage Whitout Wit over the weekend. Using the brett yeast, it is very difficult to consider this a wit, but it's really excellent if you like wits and sours/funky stuff.

shafnutz05 wrote:I've never even seen Heady Topper. I need to look more closely when I go to Whole Foods and Wegmans

lol...no no no, my friend. Heady Topper is isolated in Vermont. You will not see it anywhere close to these parts. If you ask really nicely, the next time I get my hands on it, I'll figure out a way to get some your way.

Brewed by The Alchemist Brewery in Waterbury. Hurricane Irene flooded it in 2011 and it closed down for awhile, but reopened last year. Husband and wife own it. Comes in a 16oz can and it's recommended by them to drink from the can.